NH News

9:51 am

Sun September 15, 2013

A Big Summer For Flooding In N.H.

Over the past few weeks, New Hampshire has seen an uptick in thunderstorms--and the accompanying flash floods. So far, the National Weather Service has tallied roughly 20 floods. Mike Ekster, Chief Forecaster in Gray, Maine says in a typical year, the state only sees about five. He says some years have been even worse, especially when Tropical Storm Irene hit two years ago. But it’s still been an unusually wet summer.

"We generally rely on thunderstorms for our rainfall in the summer, and thunderstorms don't hit every area," Ekster says. "But say we average about ten inches of rain per summer. And this year, we've had about 15 to 20."

Ekster says flash flood season typically runs from late May to early September--although it can last into October. He says Hooksett, Claremont, and Lebanon have been among the hardest-hit areas in the state so far. And just yesterday, Dixville Notch reported washed-out roads.